The benefits of an interactive campus map

The Interactive Campus MapAn Essential Recruitment Tool

Kyle James@KyleJamesCEO @nuCloudFounder @eduGuru

Virtual Tour

• Creating a virtual experience without

actually being there

• Picture, video, audio

Interactive Map vs Virtual Tour

Interactive Map

• Interacting with a user

• Providing a means to give input and

get results

So an interactive map is always a virtual tour, but a virtual tour isn’t always an

interactive map.

5 Reasons an Interactive Map is Essential

1. Vital to Recruitment

• USA Today - instructs prospective students to take virtual tours as the #1 step before actually visiting a college.

• Open up the top of your recruitment funnel with a virtual tour of your campus

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/college/2008-08-13-control-costs-of-college-visits_N.htm

It’s All About Recruitment!

The Prospective Decision Process

Lots of Choices

How to Narrow the List?

Visit Campuses!

You Can’t Visit Every School

Too Expensive & Too Much Time

Most Important Web Features

Data from Noel-Levitz – www.noellevitz.com

Most Used Social Media Resources

Data from Noel-Levitz – www.noellevitz.com

Credible Sources in Decision Process

Data from Hobsons - www.hobsons.com

2. Vital web feature

• A tour is “singlehandedly the most important element” of a college website. --Ron Reis, Co-founder YOUniversity

• Students will “get frustrated very quickly if they can’t get the 10,000-foot view.”--Chris Carson, President CampusTours

How Important is a Virtual Tour?

*Quote from - http://www.universitybusiness.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1122

Suite of Killer Web Apps

Interactive ToursCourse CatalogsCommon AppNet Price CalculatorEvent CalendarOnline VideosBlogs

3. Tangible Return on Investment

Establishing ROI

If we can work backwards from the value of a student we can establish the value of

an Interactive Campus Map.

*All numbers are created as examples

Let’s Do Some Math

• Average Years = 3• Cost Per Year = $20,000• Average Yearly Discount = $10,000

• Student Value = 3 * ($20,000 - $10,000)• So a Student is worth

$30,000!

Let’s Do Some Math

• Student Value = $30,000• Conversion Rate in Applicant = 20%

• App Value = $30,000 * .2• So an Applicant is worth

$6,000!

Value Of Campus Tour

Let’s Do Some Math

• Application Value = $6,000• Conversion Rate of Visits to Applicant = 20%

• Value of Visit = $6,000 * .2• So Each Student Visit is Worth

$1,200!

Drive More Campus Visitors

Interactive Campus Map

Visit Campus

Application

Let’s Do Some Math

• Visit Value = $1,200• Conversion of Map to Visit = 5%

• Value of a Map View = $1,200 * .05• So Each Map View is Worth

$60!

Do You Think 1,000 People Would View Your

Map In A Month?

Then Having A Map Is Worth $60,000!

Per Month!

ROI Spreadsheet

http://bit.ly/map-roi

4. Important for all external audiences

Alumni

Current Students

Athletic Fans

Event Speakers

Conferences

Campers

Other Events

Prospective Students

5. Everyone else has one already

Research - See what others are doing

Things Not To Do

• Use Flash – it’s inaccessible and creates a maintenance nightmare

• Only images – Include more content than just a map with some photo galleries. Tours need context.

• Ignore updates – Keep building information and imagery fresh. You virtual tour needs the power to entice real visits.

Things Not To Do With A Map

Where Do I Start?

http://www.uky.edu/CampusGuide/

Too Many Options

http://map.emory.edu/

Slow Load Times

http://www.campustours.com/prodfeatures/suffolk/

Confusing

http://www.virtualtour.potsdam.edu/index.php

Questions?

Kyle James@KyleJames

[email protected]